Lovable Losers

A Brown’s loss today would have entered them in the Hall of Lovable Losers. But with their win over the Bengals, they left that record to the Detroit Lions and many others. Maybe it was the fact that CBS announcers Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon called the last time the Browns had won on the road. If that is the case, bring them along when the Browns travel to Houston next week.

The Lions set the NFL record of 26 consecutive road losses from 2007-10. But this pales in comparison to other road loss records as we look at those and other sports losing streaks.

Kansas ended a FBS record 46-game road losing streak with dominant win over Central Michigan on September 8, 2018. The streak covered nine years.

There must be something to the number “26”. The 1976 and '77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their first 26 games in franchise history, and the Louisville Colonels hold the MLB record with 26 straight losses in 1889.

The Cleveland Cavaliers extended their NBA-record losing streak to 26 with a 103-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the first season that LeBron took his talents to Miami before winning their next game in 2011

But how about this overall losing streak. The Prairies View Panthers went 80 games, almost a decade without a victory before finally knocking off Division I-AA powerhouse Langston, after the 14-12 win. That included 39 consecutive road losses. (Photo attached)

Here are some other significant stumbles on their journey to an elusive win:

58: Brooklyn (Division I women's basketball, Feb. 7, 1987-Feb. 22, 1989)

53: NCAA Football Division III — Earlham College: (2013–2018)

52 NCAA Football Division II— Lock Haven Bald Eagles: (2007–2012)

— 41: Towson (Division I men's basketball, Jan. 3, 2011-Jan. 25, 2012)

— 34: Northwestern (FBS, Sept. 22, 1979-Sept. 18, 1982)

 

         Now, let’s not leave out  pro soccer,hockey, and basketball :

         12- MLS soccer— New York/New Jersey MetroStars: (1999)

         17- NHL hockey: 17 games (tie) — Washington Capitals:

         (1974–75); San Jose Sharks: (1992–93)

         28- NBA Philadelphia 76ers: (2014-15, 2015-16

 

         Football seems to dominant the scoreboard of losses, yes?

 

         But it was the 1962 New York Mets that made losing “lovable”

     

         The expansion 1962 New York Mets were 40-120 but the way the   

         way they lost was fun and comical.

 

         Led by manager Casey Stengel, who play on the 1927 World Series

         champion New York Yankees and led the Yankees as manager to five

         consecutive World Series wins (1949-53), the Mets returned to New

         York after the departure of the Dodgers and Giants to the West

         Coast and their fans greeted their as if they were champions. (Photo

         attached Casey Stengel and Jimmy Durante )

 

         Stengel was the Jimmy Durante of managers. He opened the season

         with this, “It’s a great honor to be joining the Knickerbockers.” He

         referred to the Met’s Stadium, where the New York baseball Giants 

         had played as well as the New York Titans as the “Polar” Grounds

        

         Never before in sports history, the Mets enjoyed a ticker

         tape parade through the streets of New York in their honor.

         Then, the day before their first home game. Richie Ashburn,

         the Mets centerfielder and team MVP that year, recalled civic leader

         William Shea speaking in front of eager fans—and the entire team—    

         on the steps of city hall, where he asked the fans for patience “until

         we get some real ballplayers in here”

        

         Their parade took the same route as today’s Macy Thanksgiving Day

         Parade!

 

          Despite everything, the Mets made it through the ’62 season,

          creating a lasting legacy as one of the worst baseball teams—and

          probably one of the most beloved—of all time.

 

          So the lovable losers, take solace, you are one game away from

          removing yourself off of the history books, just like the Cleveland

          Browns did today.!